National Weather Association Meets in Madison
The weather was good on Lake Monona as over 400 members of the National Weather Association congregated for their 37th Annual Meeting, on 07-11 October 2012. The theme of this year’s gathering was: “Synthesizing Weather Information for Society: From Observations to Actions Across Our Communities.”
The large auditorium in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace Convention Center hosted a full agenda of over one hundred presentations, with topics ranging from Severe Storm Prediction to Remote Sensing by Satellite. In addition, the Grand Terrace of the Convention Center, with its spectacular view of Lake Monona, was a dramatic setting for both student and professional poster sessions.
Program Chair Jordan Gerth opens the NWA Annual Meeting.
Poster Session on the Grand Terrace, overlooking Lake Monona.
The Poster Sessions allowed Meeting attendees to get a leg up on current research.
Keynote Speakers included Dr. Louis Uccellini, the Director of the National Weather Service; Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Administrator for NOAA; and Tom Skilling, the Chief Meteorologist of WGN-TV in Chicago.
Ralph Peterson, Scott Lindstrom, and Wayne Feltz presenting at the NWA Meeting.
The Exhibition Hall served as both a venue for both educational and corporate entities to present their contributions to operational meteorology, and as a popular meeting place for attendees.
The SSEC booth displayed current work in climate research.
Rick Kohrs demonstrates McIDAS-V capabilities to Louis Uccellini.
The local NWA Organizing Committee, consisting of Program Chair Jordan Gerth (CIMSS), Lee Cronce (CIMSS), and Gary S. Wade (NESDIS), were aided by a many volunteers from CIMSS, SSEC, the UW Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, and the local Milwaukee-Sullivan NOAA/National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office. In addition, the NOAA/NESDIS Advanced Satellite Products Branch (ASPB) participated in the planning and execution of the NWA meeting.
The NWA Annual Meeting brought a wide range of weather experts in education, research, emergency management, and broadcast media together to share their skills, their achievements, and their plans for the future.
